A light-emitting diode (LED) or a semiconductor laser diode usually has a semiconductor layer sequence grown on a substrate. Designs are known in which the semiconductor layer sequence is transferred from the growth substrate to a carrier after the growth process. In this case, use is often made of materials for a carrier which have a coefficient of thermal expansion that deviates from those of the growth substrate and of the semiconductor layer sequence. As a result, during production or during operation of such a device, problems can occur on account of differing thermal expansion of the semiconductor layer sequence and of the carrier in the event of temperature changes.
Particularly metals such as, for instance, electrochemically deposited copper or nickel as materials for a carrier can be problematic since such metals have a considerably higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the semiconductor materials applied thereto. To avoid the problems of the different thermal expansions, in known methods, either such a carrier composed of metal is dispensed with or the risk of different thermal expansions is accepted. Furthermore, it is also known, from a mixture composed of copper and a further metal, to provide a carrier whose thermal expansion is adapted to that of the semiconductor. In the case of arsenide- and phosphide-based semiconductor materials, however, copper can lead to non-radiative recombination. Therefore, it is important to provide diffusion barrier layers or encapsulation layers between the semiconductor layer sequence and a copper-based carrier, which prevent migration of copper into the semiconductor material. However, this leads to an increased material and production outlay.
It could therefore be helpful to provide an optoelectronic semiconductor device having a suitable carrier and a method of producing an optoelectronic semiconductor device.